By Ana Mano
A JBS beef plant in the centre-west state of Goias, Brazil, was ordered shut for two days by labour auditors due to irregular work conditions, one of the inspectors said April 17.
JBS immediately presented “an adaptation plan” that was accepted by the Ministry of Labor and Employment and is being executed, the meat company said.
Notice of the closure was posted on the national labour auditors’ union (Sinait) website.
Read Also
Mazergroup’s Bob Mazer dies
Mazergroup’s Bob Mazer, who helped grow his family’s company into a string of farm equipment dealerships and the main dealer for New Holland machinery in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, died July 6 from cancer.
The auditors closed the plant April 12 after finding employees were routinely subjected to “exhausting” work shifts of 10 to 16 hours a day, auditor Roberto Mendes said, confirming details in Sinait’s post. The plant, with about 970 employees, was allowed to reopen April 15 after the company presented the plan to adjust work conditions, Mendes told Reuters. Auditors will verify those conditions on weekly basis, he said.
JBS said “activities in the unit were not interrupted and continue normally.”
According to the Brazilian agriculture ministry, JBS’ Senador Canedo plant is authorized to export beef to Egypt, Mexico, Singapore, China and other countries. The facility can process more than 80 animals per hour and has more than 20 tonnes of storage capacity.
Expanded JBS plant to be largest in Latin America
By Roberto Samora and Andre Romani
Brazil’s JBS, the world’s largest meat company, will invest C$40.19 million to double slaughter capacity at its Campo Grande II beef plant to 4,400 cattle per day, it said in a statement April 12.
The announcement, which occurred after the plant received the green light to export to China in March, was made during a visit of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to the facility, located in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul.
JBS said the expansion should be completed within a year, and will make Campo Grande II one of the firm’s three largest plants and Latin America’s largest beef plant.
The firm said it will also double the plant’s work force to 4,600 people.
